Railfuture's annual Awards for Rail User Groups, inaugurated in 2012, aim to recognise and reward local volunteers who come together and work tirelessly to improve their local railway - its stations and services - on behalf of their passengers, efforts which all-too-often would otherwise pass unheralded. Newsletters, websites, campaigns, campaigners, new groups, and use of social media - all are in the field for the 'shy and retiring' to be bold and have a go at celebrating success; and yes, self-nomination (except for Best individual RUG Campaigner, for Railfuture members only) is allowed!

The volunteers may be modest but that cannot be said of their achievements. Recently completing their seventh year, the RUG Awards have so far celebrated over 35 RUGs (including station Friends and a Community Rail Partnership), ten individual campaigners, a Railfuture branch, a winning entry from among a group of Northumberland schools, and in 2019 even a couple of heritage operations.

From the home of 'Brief Encounter' and the Lake District's Windermere branch line to Kent and East Sussex's MarshLink, and from Severnside to Yorkshire, Railfuture rewarded them and others last year, and many others in six previous years as can be seen via the links below.

From friends of stations with one train a week in one direction only, to those valued by volumes of commuters - 'all stations great and small' - Railfuture has recognised them, and others. Learn more about all the award-winners and their achievements by clicking on links further down this page.

2019

The year began with presentation of a 2018 Award in Carnforth Lancashire, home of West Coast Railways now and 'Brief Encounter' almost 75 years ago. Read more here and here.

2018

The year ended with one of last year's winners, Hadley Wood RUG gaining publicity in RAIL magazine through an article by Railfuture's Hon. President Christian Wolmar for their successful Treegate campaign, challenging Network Rail's approach to lineside vegetation and resulting in the DfT's Varley Review. Read the article here, read the Varley Review here, and read about the 28th November event at Hadley Wood here.

This year's awards nominations again came from across the country, from within our branches for the North West, Yorkshire, Severnside, Thames Valley, and London & South East. Winners were announced and presentations made by Vice-President Stewart Palmer at our annual national autumn conference in Reading, themed as "Rail driving growth in the Thames Valley", on Saturday 10 November.

Yorkshire branch host two of this year's Gold Award winners - the Huddersfield Penistone Sheffield Rail Users Association for Best Newsletter, and the branch's co-Vice-Chair Graham Collett for the Clara Zilahi Award for Best Campaigner.

Severnside branch also host a couple of Gold Award winners - the Great Western Coffee Shop for Best Website, and the South East Wales West of England Business Link (SEWWEB) for the Oliver Lovell Award for Best New Group.

London and South East regional branch saw the Gold Award for Best Campaign go to the Hastings and Rother Rail Users Alliance for the innovative 'Eastbourne Overlap' May 2018 timetable.

The Judges' Special Award was also a double this year, celebrating the growing collaboration between mainline and heritage operations. In conference host Thames Valley branch's area the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway were awarded for completion of their heritage service extension into a new cross-platform interchange at Chiltern Railways' Princes Risborough mainline station, and in the North West the West Coast Railways Company for their early-summer 'Lakelander' service on the Windermere branch after Northern had temporarily withdrawn.

View or download the PowerPoint slides presented at the 2018 awards ceremony in Reading.

2018 had begun with 2017 Best Newsletter Gold Award winner Friends of the Far North Line being congratulated in a motion to the Scottish Parliament! See extract from FoFNL January 2018 newsletter.

2017

This year 18 nominations were received from 11 Rail User Groups across eight of our 14 branches - and each branch area had at least one winner of a framed certificate! The Judging Panel of seven Railfuture Vice-Presidents had visited most of the entrants, an innovation in the judging not achieved in previous years. The presentations were made by our Honorary President Christian Wolmar at our annual national autumn conference, this year themed The Dynamic Triangle and held in Leicester on Saturday 4 November.

In his monthly 'Informed Sources' e-Preview on 23 October 2017 our Vice-President Roger Ford has said "Honorary Vice-President of Railfuture is not exactly an onerous role. My main contribution is to sit on the judging panel for the annual awards, which gives me a useful insight into the grass roots railway.
This year, the VPs were asked to go out and visit an entry on the ground. As Hadley Wood is just down the line I popped over to meet the local group organiser who showed me round the station. This was a real eye-opener and may well provide material for this column (in Modern Railways).
Thursday is the judging for the Railfuture awards. This is a convivial occasion, although the judging is taken very seriously. It will be interesting to hear how the other VPs got on with their visits."

Then in his 20 November 2017 'Informed Sources' e-Preview he said "As usual, the meeting of the judging panel for the Railfuture awards was a lively occasion, with some very high quality entries to assess. We are an eclectic bunch, but it was interesting how quickly agreement was reached."

Railfuture Scotland saw Friends of the Far North Line and Devon & Cornwall the Tarka Rail Association each win a 'Best Newsletter' Gold Award for their magazines. The former was reviewed by Stewart Stevenson MSP and the latter were visited by Stewart Palmer.

The 'Best Website' Gold Award went to Stourbridge Line User Group in the West Midlands, visited by Paul Abell. Chris Green visited Thames Valley's Marlow-Maidenhead Passengers' Association who were awarded Silver, and a Commendation went to South East Northumberland Rail User Group in the North East branch area.

Chinley & Buxworth Transport Group on the Hope Valley line in the North West, also visited by Paul Abell, won the Oliver Lovell Award for Best New Group, while Hadley Wood Rail User Group, in Michael Portillo's former Parliamentary constituency and once home to Sir Nigel Gresley, received a Commendation.

The Gold Award for Best Campaign went to the Melksham Rail User Group on the Trans-Wilts line, visited by Stewart Palmer. Hadley Wood RUG, visited by Roger Ford, picked up the Silver Award, while Chesham & District Transport Users' Group, visited by Ian Brown CBE, and Chinley & Buxworth Transport Group each received a Commendation. It was notable that all of the last three have focused on step-free access campaigns.

The Clara Zilahi Award for Best Campaigner in 2017 has been awarded to Francesca Caine, founder and Chair of the Hadley Wood RUG.

This year's Judges' Special Award has been given to The New Stations Fund, for enabling 10 stations to be added to the national network and bring access to rail services closer to local communities.

View or download the PowerPoint slides presented at the 2017 awards ceremony in Leicester.

Queen's Birthday Honour in 2017 for RUG Award winner
Congratulations to Brian Dunsby on his OBE "For services to Business and the community in Harrogate." Brian won the Clara Zilahi Award for Best Campaigner in Railfuture's annual Awards for Rail Users' Groups in 2015. He also collected the Award for Best Campaign on behalf of the Harrogate Line Supporters' Group.
Brian was until recently the Chief Executive of Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce, and is Director of Yorkshire Business Market Ltd.

2016

Last year 13 Rail User Groups were in the running for awards in six categories. 17 individual entries were received, coming from groups spread across six of our branch areas. The nominations are judged by an expert panel of our Vice-Presidents, one of whom Roger Ford said in his 'Informed Sources' e-magazine: "November starts with one of the year’s most enjoyable meetings. As an honorary Vice-President of Railfuture I get to join the judging panel for the annual awards. For someone who spends too much time writing about high level policy in these difficult times, it is a refreshing change to help celebrate the successes at the grass roots." Vice-President Stewart Palmer then stood in for Honorary President Christian Wolmar to make the RUG Award presentations at our autumn conference titled "Heart of the railway - how West Midlands will lead the way to the future" held in Birmingham on Saturday 12 November.

From the North West seven RUGs and station Friends threw their proverbial hats into the ring: Copeland RUG, Lancaster and Skipton RUG, Furness Line Action Group, North Cheshire RUG, Friends of Reddish South Station, Friends of St. Anne's Stations, and Friends of Rose Hill Station. The North East had an entry from the South East Northumberland RUG, while Yorkshire saw an entry from Huddersfield Penistone Sheffield RUA. Away from The North, Wales had an entry from the Magor and Undy Station Action Group, Wessex had an entry from the Salisbury to Exeter RUG, while London and South East had entries from the Association of Public Transport Users (Thameslink North) and Cambridge Heath and London Fields RUG.

View or download the PowerPoint slides presented at the 2016 awards ceremony in Birmingham.

2015

This year the request for nominations was brought forward to allow more time for our Vice-Presidents who made up the judging panel to have a chance to visit entrants and learn about them and their activities in more detail. Vice-President Roger Ford of Modern Railways' Informed Sources said "Joining my fellow Vice-presidents on the judging panel for the Railfuture annual awards is always an enjoyable meeting and provides an insight into the grass roots railway."

Unlike most other awards, Railfuture has no short-list - the judging panel sees every submission, so the playing-field is completely level. Some previous winners have been smart entrants by going for more than one award category! Recognition comes even from just entering, never mind winning.

Ten Rail User Groups were in the running for this year's awards, presented by our President Christian Wolmar at Railfuture's autumn conference in Bristol on Saturday 7 November. Twenty individual entries were received in all six categories, coming from groups spread across five of our branch areas.

Lakes Line RUG and Ribble Valley RUG were entries from the North-West, while Yorkshire saw entries from Friends of the Settle and Carlise Line and Harrogate Line Supporters Group. Further south, Marlow-Maidenhead Passengers' Association entered from the Thames Valley, and in the London and South East branch area entries came from Abbey Flyer Users' Group and for Dartford Rail Travellers' Association. Saltford Station Campaign, Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways, and TransWilts Community Rail Partnership entered from Severnside, which was the host organising branch for our November conference titled "Rail Resurgence in the West of England".

The categories entered were for the Best Newsletter, Website, Campaign, Campaigner, New Group, and Social Media. The judging panel of Railfuture Vice-Presidents also chose to make their own Judges' Special Award. Nominations are made and winners selected according to the latest RUG Awards Rules.